Watch the Mesmerizing "Earthquake Lights" That Lit Up New Zealand's Sky

A devastating earthquake hit New Zealand's South Island early on Monday, killing two people and stranding hundreds more. While the country begins to regroup after the natural disaster, there is a bright spot among the tragedy. Residents observed a rare but breathtaking natural phenomena that puzzles scientists to this day.

Flashing, colorful lights illuminated the sky for several seconds, according to footage posted to social media. But the otherworldly bursts weren't lightning strikes, electrical explosions or ominous UFOs, as some commenters initially suggested. The vibrant show was actually an example of "earthquake lights," a disputed effect of strong shakes.

"When nature stresses certain rocks, electric charges are activated, as if you switched on a battery in the Earth's crust," physicist Friedemann Freund told National Geographic in 2014. The phenomenon is undecidedly beautiful, even if it's a sinister sign of an impending disaster.

The lights can look like bluish flames, glowing orbs or quick flashes similar to regular lightning. Zachary Bell, who posted a video to YouTube, told ABC News Australia that the lights today "happened right on the peak of the shaking … of colors mainly green and blue and white, but a bit of yellow and other color was there too."

While New Zealand recovers from the 7.8-magnitude quake, the mysterious lights only prove nature's power and beauty.

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